NI’s Makematic Team Up with World-Leading Producer DK to create 500 Educational Videos

The global publisher DK and world-leading producer of educational video content, and Future Screens NI R&D research awardee, Makematic, have announced that they will be working together to create 500 original videos based on DK’s uniquely informative and engaging book titles. 

The videos will target K-12 education, including informal learning, and are being developed to license to third party curriculum and content providers including education technology companies, select publishers, library services and children’s apps. 

This partnership dovetails with two of DK’s strategic goals: to increase their presence in the education market and reach a larger learning audience, and to work with partners to develop and distribute content in dynamic digital formats. 

The first 50 videos in the series have been co-produced with educational video platform ClickView, with funding from Future Screens NI funding partner Northern Ireland Screen, and will be available on the ClickView platform from February. 

The first videos in the series are available to license now via plus.makematic.com 

Oscar-nominated Northern Irish Short wins BAFTA

Oscar-nominated An Irish Goodbye, produced by Future Screens NI awardee Sean Murray has won the BAFTA Best British Short Film. Filmed entirely in Northern Ireland, with a production team featuring current Queen’s University Belfast students and Alumni, An Irish Goodbye is a black comedy about the reunion of estranged brothers Turlough and Lorcan following the untimely death of their mother. The film stars Seamus O’Hara (The Northman, Game of Thrones), James Martin (Marcella, Ups and Downs), Paddy Jenkins (Hunger) and Michelle Fairley (Game of Thrones, Fortitude) and has been nominated for an Oscar in the Live Action Short Film category.

Ulster Touring Opera develop AR opera for young people

Ulster Touring Opera, a Future Screens NI Narrative Futures funding recipient, has worked with award winning composer Deirdre McKay and librettist Ruth Mariner to commission an augmented reality opera for young audiences. The pandemic heightened societies awareness of the vital wellbeing role of music for young people, as data from University College London suggests that people who spent 30 minutes or more each day during the pandemic on arts activities have lower reported rates of depression and anxiety and greater life satisfaction.  Introducing opera to young people through the medium of augmented reality is a key step in empowering the next generation to enjoy music in all of its forms, regardless of cultural stereotypes. 

For more information on Ulster Touring Opera and Teeny Tiny Operas follow the link.

Narrative Futures is an open call to the Northern Ireland creative industries challenging them to explore, in a visionary manner, how the changes we have witnessed can be used as the catalyst for genuinely new and original thinking about how creative work could best be designed and delivered in the coming years. 

Liz Cullinane Many Threads explores opportunities in scenography model box filming

Future Screens NI Future Creatives-funded project Many Threads was developed by Northern Irish artist Liz Cullinane filming in scenography model boxes. Liz looked at two threads: developing work created during lockdown on familial sexual abuse, WOE: Walking on Eggshells and Swanzy Opera in a Box. Swanzy drew on Liz's published biography of Irish artist Mary Swanzy with the Irish Museum of Modern Art. The project gave Liz the opportunity to test the idea of creating a filmed piece for a model box. It also allowed her to up-skill with a number of collaborators to develop her practice-based PhD proposal. 

Future Creatives was a funding opportunity to advance PhD and early-career researchers research and development programmes, advance their career ambitions and develop cutting-edge technical solutions in their work. 

Bamstick brings Cuhullin to life with virtual production

Belfast-based film production company Bamstick have brought to life Ulster’s mythological warrior, Cuhullin, using Virtual Production technologies. Developed through Future Screens NI R&D fund and utilising Ulster University’s Virtual Production studio, the project is currently partnering with potential stakeholders and attaching world class talent. Having achieved a high-quality technical and artistic outcomes across every aspect of the project, the proof of concept test footage will be used as a calling card for the next phase of production. 

For more information on Bamstick and the Cuhullin project, visit here.